Issue - meetings

To consider a report detailing the Council’s financial position for the first quarter of 2014/15.

(Report attached)

The Committee considered the report which set out the Council’s financial position for the period April to June 2014.

It was noted that as at the end of June no significant concerns had been raised by Heads of Service relating to the revenue budget and that they would meet the savings predicted when the budget was set for 2014-15.  The underspend from the last financial year had been put into balances which now stood at £1.1m.

Members of the Committee asked questions on a number of aspects of the report as follows:

·         Environmental Services – use of agency staff – officers reported that the use of agency staff was limited as far as possible but they were being used in the short term to maintain flexibility in service provision as the department reviewed the way it worked and implemented changes;

·         The apparent low level of demand for Disabled Facilities Grants and any action being taken to increase awareness of these – officers reported that work was being done to improve the capture of demand for this service.  However, this remained been difficult to predict.  Officers agreed to seek more detail from the Head of Service about the work done to encourage applications and report back;

·         Officers undertook to find details for the following questions and to report back to all members of the Committee:

o   The number of voluntary bodies using Council accommodation and where they were;

o   Whether any posts were being deleted to make the anticipated savings in the Legal and Democratic Services Department;

o   The split between the swimming pool and gym in the projected overspend (shortfall in income) for the Abbey stadium.

RESOLVED that

1)    The current financial position on Revenue and Capital be noted as detailed in the report;

and RECOMMENDED that

2)    The 2014/15 capital programme is increased by £48k to include a section 106 funded project to extend the car park at Old Forge/Pathways Playing Fields in Matchborough;

3)    £50k of capital allocation in 2014/15 be vired from Home Repairs Assistance to Homes Multiple Occupation Grants, due to increased demand for Homes in Multiple Occupation accommodation following the introduction of the Local Housing Allowance system.